An instant COVID-19 sensor developed and made in Australia could help transform day-to-day management of the pandemic, protecting frontline workers and the wider community and have a direct impact on travel.
The sensor detects SARS-CoV-2 and variants on people’s breath, it can be placed in a room or worn as a personal tag and gives instant COVID-19 detection reducing the risk of asymptomatic spreading, to prevent outbreaks and recurring lockdowns
Created in Australia, RMIT University is collaborating with partners including Melbourne-based biomedical start-up Soterius on the biosensor, which can detect the presence of tiny amounts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants, saying it is reliable, accurate and non-invasive, with the Soterius Scout sensor delivering results within a minute to provide the all-clear for someone to enter their work environment or alert them if they need to undertake a medical COVID test and self-isolate.
The successful prototype is now being further developed by Soterius in partnership with RMIT, MIP Diagnostics, the Burnet Institute, D+I and Vestech, towards commercial release early 2022, with the technology to be manufactured in Australia and will initially be delivered to hospitals, with future applications in other essential worker and high-traffic settings including aged care, quarantine hotels, airports and schools.
Soterius co-founder Dr Alasdair Wood said emerging environmental viral sensors were bulky, energy intensive and can detect only one type of virus, adding, “Our biosensor is so small it can fit on a personal fob card and it’s easy to use – you just need to swipe your card over a reader at checkpoints,” adding, “Importantly, one sensor can detect up to 8 viral strains and our technology can be easily adapted to detect new variants or novel viruses as they emerge”.
He added, “We hope the Soterius Scout biosensor could be a vital tool for managing COVID-19, providing accurate early detection to prevent outbreaks and avoid the need for future lockdowns.”
The team behind Soterius Scout (left to right): Professor Sharath Sriram (RMIT), Dr Alasdair Wood (Soterius), Dr Md Ataur Rahman (RMIT), Dr Chih Wei Teng (Soterius), Dr Ganganath Perera (RMIT)
Prototype tests conducted at RMIT, in partnership with Burnet Institute, reveal the Soterius Scout biosensor detects SARS-CoV-2 spike protein fragments with impressive accuracy and no false positives, with the technology detecting COVID-19 even if someone is asymptomatic.
Trials also show the sensor has potential to become a top performing diagnostic tool for respiratory illnesses and it is now being scaled to detect other diseases such as influenza and MERS.
The sensor harnesses nanotechnology-enabled biosensors developed by RMIT researchers at its leading-edge Micro Nano Research Facility, with the biosensor’s technology covered in a patent application filed by RMIT, with the integrated system the subject of a patent application subsequently filed by Soterius.
RMIT project leader Professor Sharath Sriram said the collaboration would accelerate the translation of RMIT research into vital new technologies, adding, “As the recent lockdowns across Australia show, COVID-19 is not going away any time soon and we need smart solutions to help us detect the virus and contain outbreaks,” and “It is exciting to see our platform sensor technology at the core of this smart new solution for the management of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses in workplaces, to help protect our frontline workers and the wider community.”
For more information including investing in Soterius visit: https://www.soterius.com.au/
In development since 2018, led by co-founders Dr Alasdair Wood and Dr Chih Wei Teng, Soterius is an alumnus of the MedTech Actuator – Asia Pacific’s MedTech accelerator. RMIT University is a partner of the MedTech Actuator.
Could this be the answer to instant COVID testing and travel? We shall have to wait and see, but it sounds very promising.
A report by John Alwyn-Jones, Special Correspondent Travel and Tourism
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